Battle of the Transmissions: M/T vs. A/T

**4agze** · December 26th, 2008 07:00 AM

i have both have manual and automatic car, since i was 16yrs old ive been driving manual transmission cars. now in my 30's im not as high active as i use to, works takes a toll on me, now after work the only thing i want is go home and rest thats how the comfort of the automatic transmission comes in. i still drive my manual transmission car but strickly recreation.

**woohoo** · December 26th, 2008 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by FWC

I've been driving for 38 years and I drive fast and hard so it will always be M/T for me. The only time I had an A/T was when I had an Accord and it really drove me crazy at times.

I frequently do long trips to remote places so I can't risk an A/T. You are so dependent on your battery and a lot of unexpected things can happen that can drain your battery. Once your battery goes dead and you have an A/T, you're kaput. With an M/T, just push it and ergo, you're on the road again.

In offroading, unless you have traction control, then it's better to use an M/T. Try going down a steep slippery road in A/T and you'll understand what I mean. Step on the brakes just with a little more force than necessary and you'll slide all the way down without any control. Your ABS won't help at all. With an M/T, just put it in 4L-1st gear and you can have a well-controlled descent all the way down without stepping on the brakes. Just taking off your foot from the accelerator will already result to a very, very low crawl that it's almost like stopping without any of the dangers associated with it.

When we went down from Mt. Samat, our M/T vehicles kept accelerating (MC, L-200, etc...) with no pedals pressed.

**FWC** · December 26th, 2008 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by woohoo

When we went down from Mt. Samat, our M/T vehicles kept accelerating (MC, L-200, etc...) with no pedals pressed.

What I was referring to was a descent down a slippery road using 4-Low. Which means you have to engage 4 wheel drive.

If you do this going down Mt. Samat. which has a paved road, you'll wreck your differentials and transfer case (unless you have a center differential like the newer Land Cruiser or some other sophisticated 4x4s have).

**SaberRider** · December 27th, 2008 10:49 AM

M/T for me:
1)more driver oriented
2)total control over the gears, A/t's have a nasty habit of switching to a higher gear only when it's revved up pero pag experienced driver ka na naka manual, you know when your vehicle is already good to switch gears. A/t's masyadong play safe kaya nagpapa very high rpm muna bago mag switch which makes it more of a guzzler than a manual.
3)usually mas fuel efficient ang manual as stated by #2 reason.
4)less maintenance
5)has a higher top speed than an A/t of the same vehicle and same number of gears.(most of the time)
6)less hp and torque is wasted sa drivetrain
7)M/t, most of the time, is lighter in curb weight provided they have the same engine.
8)no lag on the green light(control ng paa mo lang sa clutch ang nagpapa bagal sa m/t)
9)mas masarap at mas madali i modify ang m/t.
10)nakaka exercise sa left leg pag traffic. Hirap na kung puro right leg lang ang may exercise diba?

**woohoo** · December 27th, 2008 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by FWC

What I was referring to was a descent down a slippery road using 4-Low. Which means you have to engage 4 wheel drive.

If you do this going down Mt. Samat. which has a paved road, you'll wreck your differentials and transfer case (unless you have a center differential like the newer Land Cruiser or some other sophisticated 4x4s have).

Right. Thanks for the enlightenment... I've never driven a 4WD myself, so there... :smiley:

**FWC** · December 28th, 2008 02:56 AM

Another thing, if you want engine durability, go for the A/T. But as SaberRider pointed out, if you want more control and responsiveness, go for the M/T.

Most of the ECUs actually controls the power surge of the engine to prevent damage to the automatic tranny. So no matter how hard you push the pedal, the rate of rpm increase is slightly modulated. If effect, this also prolongs the engine life.

The ECU of the M/T, on the other hand, is unregulated. Since the engine has a direct link to the engine wheels, it is the weight of the car that controls the rise in rpm. That is why if you have a powerful engine and you really push hard, you either make the tires cry or burn your clutch.

**oj88** · January 25th, 2009 03:17 PM

Been driving a M/T for 20 years. That's why I chose an A/T this time... got tired of clutching/shifting while traffic is becoming worse every year. Now, I like my driving to be a little laid back.

**woohoo** · January 25th, 2009 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by oj88

Been driving a M/T for 20 years. That's why I chose an A/T this time... got tired of clutching/shifting while traffic is becoming worse every year. Now, I like my driving to be a little laid back.

Apir!!! I'm in the same boat. I'll just find some other way to "exercise" my left leg para pantay...

**alwayz_yummy** · January 27th, 2009 10:45 AM

mas madaling mag-left-foot braking sa AT than sa MT...

pero MT if you really want control and reliabily if you do mods...

but for everything else.. AT parin..CVT nga infact..

*darn bakit kasi di ilabas ang delica D:5 dito--- an outlander 2.4L 4b12 cvt-4wd in a mini-van body...

**lazyfoot** · January 27th, 2009 12:05 PM

I still like driving M/T during late nights and non traffic hours, it is fun and keeps me awake. during daytime driving i love the A/T, saves me from all the effort.

I would go for the A/T on this one coz of the benefits, plus with the new 5 speed A/T in the market now i almost get the same milage anyway.
We still keep our old M/T though, for coding days